Business Secretary Vince Cable has passed evidence of Royal Bank of Scotland's treatment of small businesses to City watchdogs amid allegations that the bank seized assets from firms to benefit its own property empire.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has had to backtrack on his remarks on radio earlier today to the effect that people who cycle do so because they can't afford public transport and that he wouldn't want to cycle in London because it is too dangerous.

The riots that raged in London two years ago were utterly disgraceful. The wanton criminality and looting would have been bad enough in any circumstances. But what was so distressing for many of those caught up in the violence was that the rioters were targeting their own.